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"(School libraries) have really had the rug pulled out from under them. There's almost no money for them now. It's definitely setting us back in being able to provide more current, relevant literature for children." - Mary Liette, coordinator of the Educational Resource Center at the Riverside County Office of Education "The average amount per student for library books in the state budget dropped from about $28 per student to $1.41 this year. That's about enough to buy one new library book for every 25 students." Sssshhhhhh! Stop talking. Find your book, and go read quietly. Chances are, these phrases might remind you of the school-age years spent dodging a bespeckled librarian during your brief, mandatory visits to the school's musty book stacks. The school library was a place where you learned about the Dewey Decimal system, a dark and dusty place you couldn't wait to leave. But today's school libraries have transformed into a hub of learning at many campuses, encouraging the buzz of productivity and offering fresh environments for children to discover the wonderful world of information. "Picture a place that's just bustling," says Barbara Jeffus, school library consultant for the California Department of Education, describing the model libraries today. "It may not be quiet, but it's not the humming of nobody being productive. You have the classroom teacher and the library media teacher planning, teaching and designing the curriculum together. That's two professionals at the same moment working for the betterment of that class." Indeed, increasing evidence shows that when a school's library buzzes along and provides focused resources for students, achievement improves schoolwide. Unfortunately for California's school libraries, the advances just aren't enough to secure resources needed to replicate success stories around the state. Libraries were again among the first to suffer in the state's most recent budget crunch. After just four years of solid funding to improve their collections and additional resources from districts to hire certified library media teachers, libraries again face cutbacks. The average amount per student for library books in the state budget dropped from about $28 per student last year to $1.41 this year. That's about enough to buy one new library book for every 25 students. "(School libraries) have really had the rug pulled out from under them," says Mary Liette, coordinator of the Educational Resource Center at the Riverside County Office of Education. "There's almost no money for them now. It's definitely setting us back in being able to provide more current, relevant literature for children." Shrinking aid And as districts fight to keep teachers in the classrooms, other support positions have suffered, including library media teachers. That loss directly impacts students. "Kids need to be taught to function in the information age," Jeffus says. "There are all kinds of links to the (state) standards that have to do with research, technology, reading and the use of fiction and nonfiction. All the signposts are there, we're just not sure everybody is driving on that road." For the past few years, the state's libraries had made significant progress toward reconstructing that road, thanks to the flow of state money. Librarians weeded their collections of obsolete books and purchased new books, research databases and magazine subscriptions to support state standards. The additional funds came after decades of miniscule library budgets. The last injection of substantial money came from the federal government in the mid-1980s after a report uncovered the state of schools' neglected libraries. But even after that money, the average copyright had only creeped up to 1972. "People were hanging onto everything they had gotten," Jeffus says. "They were fearful on having empty shelves." It wasn't until California made a commitment to libraries in the late 1990s by pushing more than $25 per student to school libraries that the collections were cleaned up. Librarians stripped as much as half their collections out. One librarian found a book that reported owls could be found in all 48 states. Today, the average copyright in school libraries is around 1987 these days. The state also has made progress when it comes to the people who get kids excited about the books - library media teachers. More money for library staff salaries meant that teams of certified library media teachers and library clerks could set up a seamless operation. That allowed classroom teachers to supplement their lessons with research trips to the library. Library clerks handled the daily duties of checking books in and out, cataloging new acquisitions and handling basic questions. Meanwhile, library media teachers were freed up to provide focused lessons to students. "The credentialed person is the catalyst for building the program," Jeffus says. "They can spin a program out of literally a closet. If you don't have that person, then the magic connection point to what's going on in the classroom and with the teachers isn't there. You just don't make the connection." Temecula's challenge In Temecula Valley Unified School District, staffing libraries has been a high priority, says Suzanne Krall, district library media specialist. With trained personnel, the school libraries are like another classroom where the focus is on standards. Grade-level teachers work with library media teachers to reinforce their classroom lessons with different and new resources. Library clerks keep the stacks organized and the operation running smoothly. The district has focused on the library in other ways as well. New books must be noted literature that has been positively reviewed by experts. All freshmen take a class that introduces them to the library's resources. The district website also has links to the county library system so students can search for and reserve books online. And perhaps the most noticeable changes are the facilities - older school libraries got facelifts and all new libraries are larger. "No one wants to go into a place that's cluttered and doesn't look nice," says Krall. "We've made an enticing environment where students want to be. They come in, they really do." The changes have paid off. In the past three years, use of the school libraries at the secondary level alone has increased by 50 percent. Increasingly, research points to the importance of such strong library programs when it comes to student achievement. Studies in several states have shown libraries that teach good research and information skills, plus tie into classroom lessons, helping improve student achievement schoolwide. Students learn critical thinking skills and reinforce their reading ability in the library. Both of those skills help prepare them not only for classroom work, but for standardized tests - a common measure of success in today's educational environment. "There is a lot of research out there that says if you want to do well on these tests, you have to have a strong library program," Liette says. However, districts like Temecula are concerned about what the funding cuts will do to their programs and student achievement. For instance, as a growing district, Temecula is constantly opening new schools with new libraries. Parents can help in Inland Empire "It's a huge expense to put all the books in the new library," Krall says. "We have to use those (state) funds where they are the most benefit to the children. Our goal is to have every school have a good collection, not one better than another. That's where parents become even more important, to help with book fares and fund-raisers. We'll try to raise money to purchase more books, because the population continues to increase whether the state gives us more money or not." Jeffus has hope for California's school libraries, as research grows supporting library programs and the economy recovers. Certainly money for books will eventually come again. Whether they can increase the numbers of library media teachers or get accreditation bodies to look at libraries when evaluating schools is still a hope rather than a promise. "I have to believe we're going to go back up," she says. "I have to believe money for materials could be restored. The staffing issue is much more challenging. Many school administrators never experienced what a really dynamic school library can do. They don't know what they don't have." Jennifer Leuer is an education reporter. To reach her: leuer.ramus@sbcglobal.net. |
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